Click on the cell on the right to take an interactive tour of the cell. It is really cool.

Mrs. Deringer's motto . .

"Have fun learning"

Inside
cells are tiny structures called "organelles".
Organelles work together to complete a variety of jobs
within the cell. It is sort of like the way the inside
of a factory works. Each person inside the factory has
a specific job to complete.

To
hyperlink for more information, CLICK on any of the names
of the organelles OR the pictures of the organelles below.

The cell wall is the outer covering of a Plant cell. It is
a strong and stiff and made of
cellulose. It supports and protects the plant cell by holding it upright. It
allows water, oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass in out of plant cell.

Ribosomes read the recipe from the DNA and use this recipe to make proteins. The nucleus tells the ribosomes which proteins to make. They are found in both plant and animal cells. In a cell they can be found floating around in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.

The nucleus is the largest organelle in a cell. The nucleus directs all activity in the cell. It also controls the growth and reproduction of the cell.
In humans, the nucleus contains 46 chromosomes,which are the instructions for all the activities in your cell and body.

Chloroplast

Nickname: Oven

Chloroplasts are oval structures that that contain a green pigment called chlorophyll. This allows plants to make their own food through the process of photosynthesis.

Chloroplast are necessary for photosynthesis, the food making process, to occur.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the transportation center for the cell. The ER is like the conveyor belt, you would see at a supermarket, except instead of moving your groceries it moves proteins from one part of the cell to another. The Endoplasmic Reticulum looks like a maze.They are found in both plant and animal cells.

A vacuole is a large storage area that holds food, water, and wastes. Vacuoles are found in both animal and plant cells.

A plant cell usually has only 1 large vacuole that takes up much of the space inside the cell. In animal cells the vacuoles are much smaller. If you don't water a plant for a few days you ay see it droop. This is becasue the vaculoe is almost empty. Once you water the plant again you will see it stand up straight again because you filled up the vacuole.

Chromosomes are made of DNA and are found inside the nucleus. In each of the cells in your body there are 46 chromosomes. These chromosomes, which contain genes, are the recipes for making proteins and the reason why you look and are the way you are.

Mitochondria is called the powerhouse of the cell because it is where most of the cell's energy comes from. Mitochondria burn the fuel (food) that gives the cell energy. Mitochondria are in both plant and Animal cells.

The cell membrane is on the outside of an animal cell and is found just underneath the cell wall in a plant cell. Similar to the cell wall, it protects the cell and controls what passes in and out of the cell.
The membrane is made from lipids and proteins made inside the cell.

Plant and Animal Cells:
The major difference between plant and animal cells is that plant cells have cell walls and chloroplasts, and animal cells do not. Chlorophyll is the substance found in green plants that allows them to make their own food, through the process of photosynthesis. Plant cells have large vacuoles, where animal cells have small ones. But more important than their differences are their similarities. The basic function of cells, such as growing, making energy and getting rid of wastes, are similar among all organisms. Because of this similarity, scientists can move DNA from one organism to another.

Click
on the TV to watch my Powerpoint movie to help you review
the organelles found in both animal and plant cells. This
powerpoint movie will take a few minutes to load.

You need
Quicktime to play this movie If it doesn't work on
your computer you need to download quicktime. It is a
free apllication. Click Here to download.